An impressive and beautiful alternative to yellow diamonds, yellow sapphire engagement rings are an up-and-coming trend sure to be a hit. With brides around the globe looking for something new, unique and different than the norm, yellow sapphires have it all. Their sparkle, color variety and conflict-free status has helped them gain popularity among women in the world.
Yellow Sapphire Engagement Rings – Metal Choice
Generally speaking, yellow stones (and in this case, yellow sapphires) look best in the white colored metals such as platinum, palladium or white gold. The reason? Yellow gold in a setting tends to cause the yellow stone to blend in too much and not stand out as a gem should–particularly for an engagement ring. This is why the majority of yellow sapphires will be found set in a silvery white metal, and why professional jewelers will consistently provide these recommendations.
To give you an idea of the color options, here are a few pictures and designs that show the contrast:
Can you see the difference between the two metal choices? Yellow gold blends into the yellow sapphire and even with a large carat stone, it still isn’t enough to compensate for the lack of color contrast. On the other hand, the yellow sapphire set here with 14K white gold really allows the stone to stand out and take center stage.
Yellow Sapphire Engagement Rings – Antique or Vintage Styles
The popularity of antique settings is growing and are also including different colored gemstones like sapphires. Generally speaking, antique rings have ornate designs and intricate details woven into the setting. As well, the stones in this style of setting often have an antique cut or shape, such as cushion, Asscher, old European, to name a few. The combination of an antique or vintage setting with a yellow sapphire cut into an elegant shape is an outstanding choice for an engagement ring.
Yellow Sapphire Engagement Rings – Natural Verses Treated
For ultimate color enhancement, colored gemstones such as sapphires, rubies, emeralds or diamonds often are treated with a specialized heat system in order to bring out the rich color of the stone. This is done by professional jewelers and stone cutters by heating the sapphires to a specified temperature in a controlled environment, and then allowing it to slowly cool in order to get to the perfect color. Sapphires without any treatment or enhancement may not be as richly colored as their treated counterparts.Another benefit of treated sapphires is that any flaws or undesirable aspects of the stone found in nature may be less noticeable after enhancement and therefore beautifying the stone.
Natural sapphires with a deep, intense yellow color will demand a higher price than a treated one of the same color. On the other hand, untreated sapphires of a lighter hue will be more affordable than those natural ones with a darker hue. At the end of the day, it simply depends on your desired color and budget and will be a decision you will need to make as you weigh out the pros and cons.
Yellow Sapphire Engagement Rings – Availability and Settings
Because yellow sapphires are a unique stone, you many find them more readily available online and in loose form. This should not present a problem in the buying process as you can easily purchase a setting without a diamond in the center and replace it with a loose yellow sapphire. Please note that when buying a colored stone online, you will need to get a variety of pictures in correct lighting in order to find a stone that is the color you are envisioning. Ultimately, the savings will be significant and much more affordable than a diamond (or yellow diamond at that).
Yellow sapphire engagement rings make an ideal choice for a bride to be that loves vintage styles and is a fashionista or a romantic at heart.
